Harvey Weinstein—“A Wonderful Human Being”

During the 2013 White House event, Michelle Obama called Mr. Weinstein not only a “wonderful human being,” but also “a good friend and just a powerhouse.” Although now we read that the Obamas are “disgusted” with his behavior. Certainly hope so. Especially since Barack and Michelle Obama allowed daughter Malia to intern at Harvey Weinstein’s company this past summer. As NYT’s Frank Rick tweeted:

Biggest mystery of @nytimes Weinstein story: How exemplary parents like Obamas let their daughter work there. The stories were out there.

According to the WSJ:

Hillary Clinton finally released a statement condemning Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, but CNN’s Dana Bash had to ask this afternoon, “Where are the Obamas?”

Weinstein was a big Democratic fundraiser, and gave money to both Clinton and Barack Obama (though Clinton’s statement does not mention the donations or whether she will be giving them away).

“Where is Michelle Obama? Where is President Obama?” Bash asked. “Harvey Weinstein was, and probably is, still a big supporter of them and certainly of…the President’s political efforts.”

Chris Cillizza brought up when the former First Lady praised Weinstein during a student film symposium at the White House, saying that the Obamas need to be speaking out now and it’s “odd” that they aren’t.

Perhaps we are missing the real point. WSJ’s Holman Jenkins points out to readers that Harvey’s troubles are really the liberal elites’ troubles. Because elites tolerated Weinstein for so long that is why this scandal may have legs.

Mr. Weinstein was reminding liberal elites that his trouble is their trouble, because they tolerated him for so long. That’s why this scandal may have legs.

He was a guest at the Obama White House 13 times. He gave hundreds of thousands to the Clintons. In 2016, he hosted or headlined multiple fundraisers for Mrs. Clinton with people like Leonardo DiCaprio, Helen Mirren, Julia Roberts and Sarah Jessica Parker.

He was coached by Team Clinton for a campaign appearance on CBS. In turn, he coached campaign chief Robby Mook on how to answer the Bernie Sanders threat.

He’s also a man who the Los Angeles Times now tells us was “generally loathed” in Hollywood. His sexual predations were so well known that they were the subject of a joke on “30 Rock.” His behavior, we now learn, has been the subject of ongoing reporting projects at the New Yorker, New York magazine and the New York Times, which finally blew Mr. Weinstein out of the water with its 3,500-word account last week.

If the allegations against H.W. are true and provable, Jonah Goldberg writes in NRO, “Harvey Weinstein surely should go to prison. Moreover, if any staffer knowingly cooperated in assisting Weinstein in raping women, they should go to prison as accessories.”

Debbie Young

Debbie, editor-in-chief of Richardcyoung.com, has been associate editor of Dick Young’s investment strategy reports for over three decades. When not in Key West, Debbie spends her free time researching and writing in and about Paris and Burgundy, France, cooking on her AGA Cooker, driving her Porsche Boxter S through Vermont and Maine, and practicing yoga.